Lubricator



No. 751,186. PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

J. N. LEACH. LUBRIGATOR.

APPLIOATIOH' FILED OCT. 13. 1902.

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UNITED STATES A Patented February 2, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN N. LEACH, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL OIL HEATING COMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,186, dated February 2, 1904.

Application filed October 13, 1902.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. LEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to lubricators, and more particularly to a class of such wherein the lubricant is distributed under pressure from a reservoir or receptacle by means of a system of piping to any desired point of the machine.

The object of this invention is to provide a lubricator of this type wherein the amount of oil fed may be determined and regulated to meet the needs of the engine.

A further object is to provide a lubricator whereby the oil will be fed by a positive and substantially non-elastic pressure on the contents of the reservoir, and thus insure an even distribution of the lubricant; and a still further object is to provide a lubricator whereby the lubricant may be distributed to the working parts whether the engine is or is not running under power.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device, showing it as applied to the engine of a steam-carriage. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a modification of the oil-reservoir, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of a still further modification of the oil-reservoir.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A denotes the ordinary steam engine attached to the frame of a steam-carriage and provided with cylinders B B, steam-chest C, and working parts D D, 151*], and F F, such as connecting rods, cranks, and eccentrics supported by the brackets F F, all of the Serial No. 126,989. (No model.)

usual and ordinary construction, the said brackets being supported by and depending.

frame 6 of the carriage and as its detailed,

construction is immaterial may take any desired form.

The lubricant in the reservoir (4 is fed to the desired part of the engine by means of an automatic feeding apparatus and an auxiliary feeding apparatus and a system of piping leading from said reservoir to the part or parts to be supplied with oil.

The automatic feeding apparatus comprises a pipe 0, leading from the feed-Water pipe 0', which connects the pump 0 or injector and the boiler in the usual manner and communicates with the reservoir 0. The pipe 0 contains in its length a needle-point Valve 0?, a check-valve e, and a drip-cock f, which respectively serve to regulate the amount of water passing through said pipe, and consequently the amount of oil displaced thereby and fed from the reservoir, to take up back pressure when pressure from said feed-water pipe is absent, and to determine the extent of the flow of water to the reservoir in order that the amount of oil being fed may be approximately determined to facilitate its regulation by means of the valve (Z. (2 denotes a drip-cock for draining the said reservoir preparatory to refilling, and e is a check-Valve located in feed-water pipe 0 to take up back pressure. The oil displaced by the water introduced under pressure through the pipe 0 is piped to the desired point of application by means of the pipe g,- which in the form shown is designed to feed oil to the steam-chest in the usual and wellknown manner. To avoid back pressure upon' the contents of the reservoir from this source when counter-pressure through the contents of the reservoir is absent, a check-valve h is disposed between the reservoir and said steamchest.

That the pipe r although shown and described as used for lubricating the steam-chest and engine, may be used to lubricate other working parts by extending the pipe system is apparent, as may be seen from an inspection of the drawings, Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2 is shown a reservoir intended to hold lubricating oil, which may be forced through the valves 01 o v e" o in the manner above described, the valves of course be ing suitably connected with the parts to be lubrieated.

In Fig. 3 is shown a double reservoir consisting of the parts 9' and 9", the part '2' being intended for cylinder-oil and the part r for lubricating-oil. The construction of the part 9' is the same as the reservoir shown in Fig. 1, and the part 1" is the same as that shown in Fig. 2. In this form of the invention the feeding apparatus, both automatic and auxiliary, is duplicated in connection with each part 9* r, as well as the distributing-pipe systems, so that oil of different qualities may be simultaneously fed to different parts of the engine or machine, according to the requirements of the separate parts to be lubricated.

WVhen power is not being used or when valves (Z or e or pipe 0 cannot be used on account of clogging, accident, or other circumstances, the reservoirs contents cannot be placed under pressure from the feed-water pipe. To insure proper lubrication of essential parts under such and all other similar conditions, I provide the auxiliary feeding apparatus above referred to, which comprises a pipe, as 2', connecting said reservoir (4 with the bottom of the boiler or with the pipe, as j, from the bottom of the boiler to the steamgage, so as to take advantage of the boilerpressure instead of the feed-water pressure, as aforesaid. To regulate the flow of water through the pipe 2', and consequently the amount of oil distributed, I provide a finelyadjusted needle-point valve 7v at some point of said pipe between said reservoir and the boiler or the steam-gage pipe. As the pressure through pipe 6 is a continuous and a di rect boiler-pressure, no check-valves are required. Under normal conditions the valve is will be closed and the lubricant, whether cylinder or other oil is used, will be automatically distributed to the desired points by the main feeding apparatus. The action of the lubricator under these conditions is as follows, the reservoir (4 first having been filled with the necessary lubricant: As the pump or other injector starts up a portion of the water passing through the feed-water pipe is diverted through the pipe 0 to the reservoir (0, which it enters under substantially the same pressure as the feed-water enters the boiler. This displaces a proportionate amount of the lubricant, which passes through the pipe g and valve 7b to the steam-chest or other working parts of the engine. The de gree of pressure, therefore, under which it is fed is sufficient to overcome boiler-pressure.

WV hen the pump or injector is inactive, the check-valve it takes up any back pressure from the steam-chest when so connected, and the valve 0 takes up back pressure due to the closing of valve 7L and from the contents of the reservoir. To determine the quantity of water passing to the reservoir (4, the dripcock is opened, and the quantity of water being determined that of the oil being fed must equal in bulk this amount. If it be found that more or less oil is being fed than is requisite, the amount of water passing to the reservoir a is either reduced or increased by means of the needle-point valve (Z, which is finely adjusted for this purpose. It will be observed that the lubricant is fed automatically and that the valve having been once set the pressure necessary to insure such feeding action is practically non-elastic, so that the quantity of lubricant distributed remains substantially unvarying, which would not be the case were steam, air, or other gases under pressure utilized.

If for any reason it is impossible or undesirable to use the apparatus above described, the auxiliary feeding apparatus is brought into action, the valve (Z having first been closed. The action of this auxiliary feeding apparatus is not automatic, as is the main apparatus. It is brought into play by means of the needlepoint valve 70, which, through the pipe 71 and its connections with the bottom of the boiler or the steam-gage pipe j, communicating with the bottom of the boiler, feeds water continuously to the reservoir (0 under boiler-pressure and in quantity as regulated by the valve In. Steam is not introduced into the reservoir a by this apparatus, and as there is therefore no elasticity in the medium of displacement the quantity of lubricant fed thereby will be as unvarying as when fed by the pressure from the feed-water pipe.

By means of the heretofore-described apparatus an economical lubrication of the steamchest and its interior or other working parts of an engine may be accomplished. The flow of lubricant by reason of the non-elastic pressure on the contents of the reservoir is even and unvarying. The oil maybe fed to the working parts when the vehicle is at rest or in motion, when power is not being used, or when the automatic feeding apparatus .is inoperative for any reason.

While the apparatus heretofore described is designed for use in connection with steamcarriages and similar vehicles, it is not my intention to limit the invention to application to a type of engine capable solely of such use, as it is apparent that the design may be varied indefinitely to accommodate it to various types of portable and stationary engines without valve and an auxiliary feeding apparatus comprising piping connected with the water-space of a boiler and discharging directly into said reservoir containing in its length a regulatingvalve.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 19th day of September, 2

1902, in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN N. LEACH.

Witnesses:

N. L. FRoTHINGHAM, A. A. ASHMAN. 

